In the area of development policy, Civil Society can play a significant role at two levels:

1.41 Contributing to the formulation of the policy:
It is critical that NGOs and other civil society actors along with the NMS governments are able to effectively participate in the shaping, debating and advocating of the EU development policy.

1.42 As an actor in implementation:
The EU's development co-operation is implemented through many different channels, from direct financial support to developing country governments, through multilateral organisations - such as the World Bank, UNDP, WFP etc, - and through non-state actors including non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Of the aid managed by the European Commission, some € 1 billion is channelled through NGOs, particularly those from EU Member States and from developing countries.